Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-14
sr.s.,esthe Mule.


s. - !. -.at..r AZ ths Willamette Farmer
url11s Shs following practical essay on
- m11e; a year ego we nad nofses a.
worh, and BY accident and disease buried
1kfee eood animals, leaving only young
orro end her yearling lilly. These
- GOOD animals, and by advertising
100 80 exchange, We traded on the two
- good pair of mules, in
1Ss,r prime. They were not large,
<~f vere low-built and fair size.
--5 conid haul cord Of wood or do any
E -55isorv farmwork. II was good trade
Z 6-r -. = Il proved, and an excellent
~So - The Polk county farmer who
~'iekei 70 quit blowing for wheat aud
s.isS afook' He now has three choice
S~innls. ali females, ard soon his mules
nm result in band Of good stock rapid.
y lncreasinR. Another year there should
fo two colts, making five head IN ALL
oSd wheat growing would not yield HIM
6hs increoss he will have from the mare
end 6lly. -, -
Bat our point now is as to value OF
mules a. : team fer teamwork. In many
vsars We have never had work done as
sotirfactorily a. since these low.bulit
rnules have been passing under the
1Inbn al the orchard trees. They WORK
rI-cle. as well. and though not near the
slzs al the horses we lost, one OF tnem
nsnaass 70 pnll q l4-inch plow, set 10
70 sbout II she's, and we plow up
8 the 49, % that the unpioweo
11r;p & snly ten to twelve inches VIDE.
Not only have they proved useiui as
vrorkeru' but they have been economical
ensders. Il certainly has not cost much,
4 anv. more than one-half to feed these
r,nIes than it did 10 feed the horses we
S-s6 10 have. Another fact is. their
kerdine,s and endurance. On much
8 - feed and few-much less
~. mule will outwalk
kor,s. and he cannot we'll be over.
,vorked. because he won't be. Pull
kaavv load on . hill. or q plow in the
furrov. and when the mule wants to
r1on. and knows he ought to rest, he
4 mi have his rest whether or no. Tnat
: rood quality, for the best horse we
~ died Of overwork, but history does
not til when mule ever did.
The the mule, in all shapes and con
dfkions. and he Is baseiy slandered
fur males never offer to kick, and are
q gentle q need be. They are tough
a ths bit. and start when they ger
ready, but when they do start they keep
aoine. and are really fast piowing
team. We would not trade these little
mules. for orchard work and ordinary
farm work, for the finest team In Ore
aou. Il u true that the mules ears are
sixeable and his idea of vocal
e6ort 4 ant to be parodied by the
sDaIl boy. and at times by the hu.
roorous bray Of older growth. When we
oocaa,oually ride Barney through the
strsele Of our CO apital city, or drive him
q he cart ON some business trip, our
friends and their small boys make fraud.
nlent attempts at riot, tapping their
hands above their heads for ears. aud
are seized with desire 10 initiate Bar
nev's puffaw talents. We follow his ex
amplc and ignore these efforts, for we
find the mule usually more dignified
than his imitators.
Really and truly, leaving the question
Of beauty and vocal performance out OF
The question, we wonder why people
don't rnisc more mules for work teams.
They are more long-livei than horses;
less subject to disease; cost less to keep
000 are moKo tnStooio ou" sNa
.vicsable. We see few teams OF
.mules, but not one where there
should be hundred. They com.
,,nand fair price and deserve to be well
appreciated, because you can let reck'
less hand, who might ruin the temper
asd habits Of o spirited horse, drive yoar
males in perfect confidence that they
will hold their own. There are. truly,
NANNY hired men who impose on animals,
and Il u aome comfort to let such have
3 team that cannot well be imposed on.
The mule deserves good treatment.
OF course, as does every animal
that works for man, but the
mule can get along with abusive team
stern fer more comfortably than can q
: high spirited horse that an ill-tempered
msn-wuuid soon goad to frenzy or make
sullsn and balky. Mules are neglected
here In Oregon, and in this whole re.
zion, and we commend the fact to at.
tention of breeders as well as to those
needing teams, that in all matters OF
utility and economy, long life and en-.
durance, the mule Is the animal for the
farmers or tsamster's work, and espec-
ially the poor mans friend.